The Most Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO has more than 1,000 locations on its prestigious World Heritage list, a roster of places considered to be of outstanding value to humanity, whether for cultural or natural reasons. The list includes Bavarian churches and Arctic fjords, American national parks, and endangered wonders at risk of disappearing. Here are our picks for the 20 most stunning sites.
This gallery was originally published in 2014. It has been updated with new information.

St. Kilda, Scotland

This cliff-dotted archipelago along the western coast of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides boasts stunning ocean views and a unique ecosystem, as well as a bit of historic mystery (even the origin of St. Kilda’s name remains disputed). Visitors can encounter hoards marine life on one of the many ocean tours offered by local boating companies, while those without sea legs can also explore the area’s ancient ruins. —Hadley Keller

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La Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium

Brussels's central square, La Grand-Place, features nearly 40 opulent guildhalls built between the 14th century and 17th century. A bell tower and Gothic gargoyles mark its most famous landmark, the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). —Caitlin Morton

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Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s North Island has earned two UNESCO World Heritage designations [geological and ecological] and is also the oldest national park in the country. Within the park lies the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 12-mile hiking route that takes you past the Emerald Lakes of Mt. Tongariro. The gorgeous green lakes get their color from the dissolved volcanic minerals in the water. —Lauren Kilberg

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Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor Archaeological Park is comprised of 12 main temples and scores of smaller structures, but the biggest and most important temple, the 12th-century Angkor Wat, is the star due to its trove of art and immense size [an area of nearly 99,000 acres, including forests]. —John Wogan

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Socotra Archipelago, Yemen

Marooned in the Indian Ocean, this isolated archipelago of four islands claims hundreds of unique species and is well known for its alien landscape. If you think the shape of this Dracaena cinnabari tree is weird, wait until you find out that its name translates to “dragon’s blood tree” thanks to its red sap, which is traditionally used as a dye. —Jonathan Shannon

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Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China

Once a remote and inaccessible part of China’s Hunan Province, this UNESCO site is now a tourist attraction, drawing visitors with its 3,000–plus sandstone pillars spread out over 100 square miles. Some towers are more than half the height of the Empire State Building—natural skyscrapers rising high above rivers and ravines. —Jonathan Shannon

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Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Everything you've heard about the Galápagos Islands is true: Yes, the Galápagos tortoise is nearly the size of a Smart car; and yes, the snorkeling is superb. Located approximately 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the archipelago, comprised of [19] islands, is one of the rare places where the animals far outnumber the people. In fact, only [four] of the islands are inhabited. Experiencing the archipelago firsthand is truly a trip of a lifetime. —Randy Kalp and Bethany Salvon

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Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain

This famous music hall is one of the finest examples of Catalan modernism—think rich details, floral motifs, and curved lines—by Art Nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner (along with the city's Hospital de Sant Pau). Natural light illuminates the entire building during daytime hours, thanks to the stained-glass walls and inverted dome skylight. —Caitlin Morton

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Yosemite National Park, California

Everything but the traffic and lodging is bursting at the seams during spring—specifically, April and May—in Yosemite Valley. Waterfalls swell with snowmelt from the mountains, dogwoods are in bloom, and wildlife begins to stir. Hike in the lower elevations, visit the waterfalls, picnic in El Capitan meadow, and watch rock climbers on the big wall. Feeling adventurous? Spend a day basking in the sun while you take rock-climbing lessons in the sports mecca. —Jennifer Duffield White

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Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal is a temple dedicated to love, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most-visited tourist sites in all of India. Sites within the complex are all popular with photographers, including the main Cenotaph, the Mosque, and the museum exhibit giving the origins of the site and its architecture. —Lilit Marcus

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Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

When the winter blues hit, the usual solution is a ski weekend or quick trip to the beach. But if you’re up for a different kind of adventure, head for Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay aboard a traditional Chinese junk ship. Often visited by bikini-clad youth in warmer weather, the bay becomes infinitely more romantic, quiet, and introspective as temperatures drop. —Lucy Sexton

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Rapa Nui National Park, Chile

The Rano Kau crater may not be the most recognizable sight on Easter Island, but it's a worthwhile reason to make the journey to this remote Chilean island. Located within the World Heritage–designated Rapa Nui National Park, the volcano is some 1,000 feet high and its crater more than half a mile wide. —Lauren Kilberg

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Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, Georgia

The former capital of Georgia has three picturesque, clifftop medieval churches. Sadly, lack of preservation and unaddressed deterioration of the architecture and artwork have landed this site on UNESCO’s "at-risk" list. —Lianna Trubowitz

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Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

The aptly named Los Glaciares is home to numerous massive glaciers, including the 37-mile-long Upsala Glacier, as well as glacial lakes. The park stretches across 1,480 acres, making it one of the most impressive (and beautiful) areas in southern Argentina. —Caitlin Morton

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Pamukkale, Turkey

Few hot springs around the world can compete with the 17 tiered pools of Pamukkale ("cotton castle" in Turkish) in sheer beauty. The stacks of white travertine (a form of limestone) overlook the city of Denizli, and the calm, 94-degree waters reflect the Aegean sky. The pools are off-limits to people to protect them, but you can still view the site from a nearby footpath. —Caitlin Morton

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Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam’s central Canal District was crowned a World Heritage Site in 2010. Helping draw the gaze away from the red lights and the smoke houses, the recognition focused attention on the city’s truer core: the loop of concentric canals that the burghers dug up, largely in the seventeenth century, as Amsterdam morphed into a muscular mercantile power and one of Europe’s most gorgeous cultural epicenters. —Julien Capmeil and Raphael Kadushin

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Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

The studded beach known as Giant’s Causeway is made up of polygonal columns of basalt protruding from the coast and water. They were caused by a volcanic eruption 50-60 million years ago, but one local legend claims that the columns were carved by a giant named Finn McCool (hence the name). —Lauren Kilberg

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Canaima National Park, Venezuela

Venezuela's overrunning with natural wonders, including the world's highest waterfall, the 3,212-foot cascades of Angel Falls, located in the UNESCO-protected Canaima National Park. Canaima is by far the country's most popular attraction, and the falls stretch an astounding 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. —Caitlin Morton

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Wadden Sea, The Netherlands

This coastal wetland—a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the "largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world"—is home to a number of animal species including the harbor seal, grey seal, and harbor porpoise. There are some 50 islands here; the Netherlands "owns" five of them. —Katherine LaGrave

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Bryggen, Norway

This UNESCO Heritage Site is the old merchant quarter of Bergen and the only preserved business district from the Hanseatic period. The wharf of Bryggen inspired the design of the city of Arendelle in Frozen, and it’s still in use today with offices, shops, and restaurants bustling with activity and filled with charm. —Jaime Morrison Curtis